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Title: Star Trek Memories by William Shatner, Chris Kreski ISBN: 0-06-017734-9 Publisher: HarperCollins Pub. Date: November, 1993 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.12 (16 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Shatner grants equal time to costars
Comment: Before I start my review, let me address what I think is a bit of revisionism going on among Star Trek fans. Some reviews of "Star Trek Memories" (written by "Next Generation" snobs, no doubt) suggest that William Shatner had nothing to do with the success of "Star Trek," and that his career would have gone nowhere had he not been lucky enough to win the role of James T. Kirk. First, I would argue that after Gene Roddenberry, William Shatner is probably more responsible for the phenomenal success of Star Trek than any other person. Without his bold, histrionic, over-the-top performance as Kirk, I seriously doubt Star Trek would have achieved cult status shortly after its original cancellation in 1969. And without the development of that cult following into massive proportions, there would have been no movies, no "Next Generation," no "Deep Space Nine" or "Voyager" or "Enterprise" - none of it. Second, Shatner was already established when he joined the "Star Trek" cast. Before Trek, Shatner had already played Shakespeare on stage, starred on Broadway, and appeared in major motion pictures (notably "Judgement at Nuremburg"). Love him or hate him, you can't deny that Shatner brought a unique talent to the original "Star Trek" that was crucial to the show's popularity.
Anyway, on to the video review. "Star Trek Memories" is a highly condensed documentary based on Shatner and Chris Kreski's book of the same name. I recommend the book over the video - you've seen all the clips already, and after a while the documentary succumbs to "talking head" syndrome. But there are definitely some worthwhile moments here, thanks to generous allotments of time to Shatner's costars. James Doohan entertains with alternate accents for Scotty, while Nichelle Nichols offers a moving account of her meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who convinced her not to quit the show. Shatner himself offers a cogent theory about Star Trek's popularity stemming from a relatively young nation's search for its own mythology.
If you've read the book, the video isn't essential, and might even be superfluous. But it makes a nice gift for fans of the original "Star Trek" series. "Live long and prosper!"
Rating: 5
Summary: An interesting look at the other team
Comment: Being a fan of Star Trek means not only being conversant about the different episodes of the original series, but the fan should also have attended conventions and read the many books from the original cast members. From all my experience, I learned that not everyone liked William Shatner.
With that knowledge, I read the first couple of chapters with the voice of Shatner at the Star Trek convention lampooned by the SNL cast. From the sound, Shatner still did not understand what the big commotion was for. I fully believed that the rest of the book would be Shatner tooting his own horn.
The bulk of the book does not concern his specific recollections of the series, nor do most of the stories concern him. The material primarily concerns how the show finally got on the air and how it made it through three seasons. Although he did talk to some of the other cast members, the focus is more on the team behind the scenes. He discusses Roddenberry and the other producers, directors, writers, lighting technicians, dolly grip, wardrobe designers, and set designers. He gives the readers a very intriguing look at the people who helped get the series on the air and kept it going. This book is more of a salute to those who made a quality product despite studio plans otherwise, such as cutting the budget and changing time slots.
Overall, the language was conversational and kept me engaged.
The final chapter does mention that he understands that some of the others do, or did, not care for him that much, and he also offers an olive branch out to James Doohan. Given the year this was written (early 90s), I wonder if it was accepted.
I would recommend this book to fans of the show and other fans of 60s television. The story behind the camera (rather than off) is an interesting one.
Rating: 3
Summary: Captain, the transporter has irrevocably damaged your memory
Comment: As prolific as a tribble, William Shatner has established a thriving cottage industry of co-written science fiction and "Star Trek" books. Shatner's role in the writing of this book, at least, seems to have consisted mainly of scouring his selective memory and letting "co-author" Chris Kreski do all the real work. To be sure, some of Shatner's "Memories" are as suspect and eyebrow-raising as any one of his atrocious rugs.
For all that, the book clips along at warp speed most entertainingly, offering up piles of pulse-quickening Classic Trek minutiae and irresistible gossip. A big bonus is the wealth of candid
photographs and reproductions of art director Matt Jefferies' imaginative production drawings.
A much better book in the same insider vein is the highly recommended but out-of-print "Inside Star Trek, The Real Story" by Classic Trek suits Herbert F. Solow and Robert H. Justman.
Enjoy "Memories," but remember to (in your best halting Shatner voice, now) "consider.....the.....source."
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Title:Inside Star Trek - The Real Story ASIN: 0792152638 Publisher: Paramount Studio Pub. Date: 25 May, 1999 List Price(USD): $14.95 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $14.95 |
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Title: Star Trek Movie Memories by William Shatner, Chris Kreski ISBN: 0060176172 Publisher: HarperCollins Pub. Date: November, 1994 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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Title:Journey's End - The Saga of Star Trek The Next Generation ASIN: 6303574297 Publisher: Paramount Studio Pub. Date: 03 October, 1995 List Price(USD): $14.95 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $14.95 |
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Title:Mind Meld - Secrets Behind the Voyage of a Lifetime ASIN: B00005V9HD Publisher: Goldhil Home Media I Pub. Date: 29 January, 2002 List Price(USD): $19.95 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $17.96 |
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Title: Get a Life! by William Shatner ISBN: 0671021311 Publisher: Atria Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 1999 List Price(USD): $24.00 |
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